MTS or Ping Example

[Todd Wright]

Einhuf wrote:
> Hi again,
> I only want to send messages from a sender to a receiver agent 
> (currently inside one node on one computer). I only found the ping 
> example to send messages and the MTS Service. But the documentation 
> doesn´t include themes like "how to use" or examples. And the api 
> Message Transport Service online manuel isn´t reachable ( The requested 
> URL 
> /software/latest/javadoc/mtsstd/doc/OnlineManual/MessageTransport/index.html 

Here's a link to the online copy:
http://cougaar.cougaar.org/software/latest/OnlineManual/MessageTransport/

> was not found on this server.) Has anybody a link or code for the usage 
> of that service.  Or would you use the ping example via blackboard to 
> communicate with other agents?

I recommend using the blackboard, as discussed in the overview slides:
   http://cougaar.org/docman/view.php/17/196/CougaarOverview.ppt
and in the example code:
   http://build.cougaar.org/auto/HEAD/latest_success/demo-ping.zip
Blackboard relays are analogous to inter-agent messages.

However, if you prefer, you can use raw messaging.  Your component can 
get the agent's MessageSwitchService:
http://cougaar.cougaar.org/software/latest/javadoc/core/doc/api/org/cougaar/core/agent/service/MessageSwitchService.html
The "sendMessage" method is easy to use.  Receiving messages is more 
complicated -- you must add a "MessageHandler" that processes the 
messages on a separate thread, to avoid blocking the Message Transport. 
  The code should look similar to:
   public boolean handleMessage(Message m) {
     if (!(m instanceof MyMessage)) return false;
     synchronized (queue) { queue.add(m); }
     schedulable.start(); // ThreadService pooled thread for our "run()"
     return true;
   }
   ...
   public void run() {
     synchronized (queue) { tmp.addAll(queue); queue.clear(); }
     for (Message m : tmp) {
       // process the message!
     }
     tmp.clear();
   }
I can provide a complete example if you're interested.  However, I think 
that the blackboard approach is both easier to use and more flexible.

Todd
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> Thomas
> 
> 
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